The Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to deploy 18,800 officers nationwide to increase police presence and security measures for “Undas” (All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day) this year.
In a Bagong Pilipinas briefing on Tuesday, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said these numbers would include personnel assigned to cemeteries, transport hubs, seaports and airports, and areas affected by Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine.”
“We already have around 7,000 officers on the ground for soft deployment as some Filipinos are already visiting the graves of their loved ones,” Fajardo said.
In Kristine-affected areas, the PNP will continue retrieval and relief operations, with additional support teams dispatched to help.
Alongside stationed personnel, police mobiles will patrol residential neighborhoods on Undas, a common travel period for many Filipinos, the official said.
Local government units (LGU) in Metro Manila meanwhile have released traffic advisories to avoid build-up in line with the observance of All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day of Nov. 2.
Here are the schedules: Pasig City, (Oct. 30 to Nov. 1), one way traffic scheme along C.
Raymond Avenue from E. Angeles St. to Mercedes Ave. going northbound; Malabon (Oct. 30 to Nov. 2), closed road from Lascano St. corner MH Del Pilar; San Juan (Nov. 1 to 3), re-routing scheme along Boni Serrano Ave.; Navotas road closure along Gov. Pascual Street from Bacog until A. Santiago Street.
Government agencies have also begun inspecting public transport terminals in preparation for the upcoming long weekend.
Among the terminals inspected were Buendia Bus Liner, DLTB Bus Co., JAM Transit, JAC Liner, LLI Bus Terminal, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), Five Star Bus Terminal, and the Baliwag Bus Liner Terminal.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and other government agencies usually conduct inspections at various transport terminals in the National Capital Region to assess the roadworthiness of vehicles, particularly provincial buses, ensuring public safety during the holiday break.
In Cebu, the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) is gearing up to activate “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Undas 2024” to manage the anticipated influx of travelers during the “Kalag-kalag” or All Saints’ Day celebrations, which will take place from October 31 to November 5 this year.
CPA General Manager Francisco Comendador III said that the CPA, in collaboration with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine National Police
(PNP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and other government agencies, implements an annual set of measures aimed at enhancing and streamlining security operations across all ports in Cebu.
Comendador emphasized the importance of passenger safety, announcing that the CPA will provide round-the-clock security over the six-day period to ensure the safety and security of all port users within the premises.
Additionally, he stated that explosive detection dogs will be deployed across all CPA port terminals.
Comendador strongly encourages all passengers to book their tickets in advance to prevent overcrowding and ticket scalping.
The CPA will enforce a strict “No Ticket, No ID, No Entry Policy,” allowing only those with valid tickets and identification to enter the port area at least two hours prior to departure.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “PNP to deploy almost 19,000 cops for Undas.”
